Updated

Updated · Fox News · Jun 9

Democrats Plan to Walk Mark Teixeira as GOP Eyes 6th Straight Congressional Baseball Win

Updated

Updated · Fox News · Jun 9

Democrats Plan to Walk Mark Teixeira as GOP Eyes 6th Straight Congressional Baseball Win

Q: Can a 46-year-old MLB legend still hit home runs after a decade away from the game?

Probably not at a professional level, but in a charity exhibition game, yes, it is plausible. The key distinction is the setting. For Major League Baseball, the evidence points strongly against it. Position players almost never remain productive into their mid-40s, and there is no meaningful precedent for a 46-year-old hitter returning after nearly 10 years away and still producing MLB-level home run power. Aging curves in baseball are unforgiving: bat speed, reaction time, timing, and recovery typically decline well before that age, even for elite players. Mark Teixeira’s résumé shows why people take the idea seriously. He finished with 409 career home runs, retired in 2016, and was one of the game’s premier switch-hitting power bats. Pure strength does not disappear overnight, and former sluggers can still drive a ball a long way in batting practice or lower-level competition. But Teixeira himself has acknowledged the likely rust after almost a decade away. That matters. Hitting home runs in real games depends less on raw strength than on timing and repeated game reps. Those are usually the hardest things to recover after a long layoff. So if the question is whether a 46-year-old legend could still homer in the Congressional Baseball Game, the answer is yes, that is believable. If the question is whether he could return to MLB and do it there, the answer is overwhelmingly no based on age trends, the long absence, and the lack of precedent.

1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 9

Ruben Gallego said Democrats would "walk him every time" if Mark Teixeira joins the GOP congressional baseball roster after his expected November election win in Texas' 21st district.
Teixeira, 46, retired with 409 MLB home runs and said he has not played in nearly 10 years, but vowed on X to shake off the rust and beat Democrats "on and off the field."
Republicans enter Wednesday's charity game at Nationals Park on a six-game winning streak, with Greg Steube returning after a 2021 home run believed to be the event's first inside 40 years.
Pat Harrigan, 38, also bolsters the GOP after closing out Democrats in 2025, underscoring fears that the current skid could stretch toward a decade if Teixeira is added.
The lopsided rivalry has still boosted fundraising: the 2025 game brought in $2.75 million for D.C. charities, and this week's matchup is expected to top that record.